Popularity of rugby sevens could lead to expansion of World Series

The increasing popularity of rugby sevens has prompted the code's governing body to consider expanding the World Series from 10 legs to 12.

And the ARU is taking note of the Big Bash League's recent success at selling a shortened format as rugby's pruned version continues on a steady incline around the world.

Team captains Ed Jenkins, Australia, and Tim Mikkelson, New Zealand, pose for a photograph for the World Rugby Sevens Series in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.Credit:Janie Barrett

By comparison, sevens has been around for a lot longer than T20 cricket and FAST4 tennis; it became fashionable in the 1970s as a weekend carnival alternative to the 15-man code.

In the past decade, according to World Rugby's general manager of competitions,<!--[if gte mso 9]><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USJAX-NONE<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><![endif]--><!--StartFragment-->Philippe<!--EndFragment--> Bourdarias, sevens has been "growing steadily" but the announcement it would feature at the 2016 Rio Olympics has had a "massive impact on the growth of the sport".

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The World Series features 10 legs in iconic cities across the world including Las Vegas, Hong Kong and London, but according to Bourdarias, an expansion could be on the cards, provided player workloads were not compromised.

"Despite the growth, we won't be able to go to 20 [legs] – we may be able to go to 12. It's a possibility," Bourdarias said. "We are limited in terms of players' welfare because that's a key priority for us and sevens is a sport that's very demanding and you can't play every weekend. If we add a tournament we need to make sure that it's suitable for players in terms of welfare."

Asked whether Australia could potentially snag another sevens tournament in a different city – providing this weekend's event in Sydney is a resounding success – Bourdarias said it would be unlikely.

"We want to spread the series around the world and to have two tournaments in one country would not be considered," he said. "Maybe in the future it may be an option."

Meanwhile, Ben Whitaker – the ARU's general manager of high performance – has been keeping a close eye on the rise and rise of the Big Bash this summer.

Cricket Australia has been very successful in packaging a shortened version and selling it to fans that have been yearning, at times, for a product that has more excitement and colour than Test cricket.

Does Whitaker think sevens has the potential to reinvent itself as a code given the pattern and increasing number of Australian fans who want trimmed down versions of their favourite sports?

"We'd love to replicate some elements of the BBL in terms of crowds and broadcast figures," Whitaker said. "The issue is that it's not directly aligned to what the BBL is because that's a three-hour event. We're still on a two-day event, and because that at the moment is on the world stage, we get one a year. We've been modelling it for a while to see how we can use the sevens game to create a domestic product that not only is accessible and exciting, but can be done in a format that people want to consume. We're investigating national leagues in different ways and formats that has the game in front of people more often in this country."

The fact sevens is at the Olympics cannot be underestimated. There will be plenty of intrigue from lesser-known nations when fixtures begin at the Deodoro Sports Complex on August 6.

"It's very important for us to remain at the Olympics," Bourdarias said. "You reach out to new humans and communities, so that's a really important platform for the game."

For Whitaker, he knows how vital this Olympic year is at garnering public attention to build off in the coming years.

For now, he is happy to sit back at the weekend and take in a special event that could continue for many years to come.

"We're rapt that it's a sell-out," Whitaker said. "We need to make sure the event is one everyone enjoys."